The US Department of Justice just cleared Cigna’s $US67 billion merger with Express Scripts.

Cigna, one of the US’s largest health insurers, announced the deal in March, offering $US48.75 per share in cash for Express Scripts. The $US54 billion price tag was a 31% premium to Express Scripts’ stock price at the time, and included about $US15 billion worth of Express Scripts’ debt.

“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has cleared our transaction and that we are another step closer to completing our merger and delivering greater affordability, choice, and predictability to our customers and clients as a combined company,” Cigna CEO David Cordani said in a release Monday.

The sign-off by the DOJ was the last major hurdle the merger had to clear, after passing a shareholder vote at the end of August. The companies still need to get the OK from state insurance agencies, of which they have gotten 16 so far, the companies said in a release Monday.

On September 5, The Wall Street Journal reported the DOJ was close to approving the Cigna-Express Scripts deal as well as CVS Health’s $US69 billion merger with the insurer Aetna, though that deal might require the divestiture of certain businesses related to Medicare drug coverage before it can go through.